Press Releases

Sanctuary City Policy Causes Last Chance Warning from U.S. Department of Justice to New Orleans

10/12/2017

BATON ROUGE, LA – New Orleans and four other sanctuary
locales have been issued a final warning from the U.S. Department of Justice
(USDOJ) to provide additional evidence that they are in compliance with federal
immigration law.

In aletter today from U.S.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions – the USDOJ has informed New Orleans that, based
on its preliminary review, the New Orleans Police Department policies and
practices may violate 8 U.S.C. § 1373 – something Louisiana Attorney General
Jeff Landry has been warning city officials for over a year.

“Time and time again, I have warned Mitch Landrieu that
his blatant disregard for the law would have serious consequences for the City
of New Orleans,” said General Landry. “Unfortunately, the Mayor has ignored my
many warnings and continued to risk the safety, security, and funding of our
State’s citizens. Mitch Landrieu is playing politics at the expense of New
Orleans.”

Last year, General Landry wrote Mayor Mitch Landrieu
informing him that the New Orleans policy was in violation of federal law.
Regardless of political pushback – General Landry has continued to be the
State’s most aggressive critic of sanctuary cities, supporting legislation the
past two regular legislative sessions that would have eliminated sanctuary
cities in Louisiana. However, the Louisiana State Senate refused to act on this
issue of public safety.

In June, General Landry led a group of states in
defending President Trump’s executive order that directs the federal government
to take lawful actions to ensure compliance with laws prohibiting sanctuary
cities. As recent as last week, General Landry led another multi-state
coalition in reinforcing support for individual states to prohibit sanctuary
cities within their borders.

“Mitch’s reckless pursuit of national glamour and
attention threaten the future of New Orleans,” concluded General Landry. “It is
troubling that the Mayor continues to put his partisan politics ahead of public
safety.”